INDUSTRY NEWS
DHL SUPPLY CHAIN, in collaboration with Unilever and Volvo Trucks, introduces Africa ' s inaugural electric Superlink Truck.
In a significant step towards sustainable logistics in Africa, DHL Supply Chain, in collaboration with Unilever and Volvo Trucks, launched an electric vehicle( EV) pilot in South Africa. The pilot program officially began on August 1, 2025.
DHL is pioneering sustainable logistics in Africa by deploying the continent ' s first fully electric Volvo FMX 6X4 tractor combined with an 18-meter superlink double trailer. This initiative supports Unilever ' s supply chain operations and aims to assess the performance, sustainability benefits, and economic viability of electric vehicles( EVs) against traditional diesel trucks, especially given Africa ' s developing EV infrastructure.
Bremer Pauw, Managing Director of DHL Supply Chain Africa, emphasized,“ This pilot underscores DHL’ s commitment to sustainable logistics and transport solutions despite infrastructure challenges in Africa. While limitations remain in scaling EV solutions, strategic partnerships like this enable us to test and capitalize on the technologies available today, proving that low-carbon logistics can be possible, even in emerging markets.”
Volvo Trucks are crucial steps toward reaching our sustainability objectives, enabling us to test and implement innovative transportation solutions that foster a greener supply chain,” said Simphiwe Dlamini, National Transport Manager, Unilever South Africa.
“ As part of our sustainability commitment, we’ ve proactively introduced cleaner transport solutions, including assembling Euro 5 trucks locally ahead of regulation,” said Eric Parry, Senior Manager Sustainable Solutions, Volvo Trucks South Africa.“ This pilot reflects our belief that collaboration is key to accelerating Africa’ s transition to sustainable freight transport.”
The electric tractor used with the superlink will operate along standard logistics routes and be charged using infrastructure supplied by Aeversa at existing Unilever facilities for the duration of the pilot. DHL’ s long-term objective is to transition to renewable energy for charging, further improving the vehicle’ s carbon footprint in future deployments.
Data from the trial will be benchmarked against DHL’ s existing Euro 5 diesel fleet, which already has lower greenhouse gas emissions and fuel consumption compared to the current vehicle emission standards in South Africa broadly equivalent to Euro 2 standards.
This initiative ' s outcomes will inform future sustainability strategies and could expedite the wider integration of electric trucks into DHL ' s African operations.
Volvo Trucks South Africa has long been a proponent of cleaner technologies in the market. Since 2012, their Euro 5 trucks have helped DHL customers reduce their environmental footprint. With the introduction of the Electric tractor, Volvo continues to bring advanced emission-reducing technologies to the market, offering the latest in vehicle innovation.
“ Unilever is committed to achieving net-zero emissions across our operations by 2039. Collaborations such as this pilot with DHL and
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